Virat Kohli to Rahul Dravid: ‘Not being able to perform was eating me up’

The Ahmedabad Test may have ended in a draw, but India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1, resulting in the Rohit Sharma-led squad reaching the finals of the World Test Championship. Another reason for Indian fans to cheer was Virat Kohli’s roaring return to form in Tests. The former Men in Blue skipper ended his century drought with a 186-run knock against Australia.

Well, now there is one more reason for fans to cheer up. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has dropped a video of a post-match interview between Virat Kohli and India head coach Rahul Dravid. The duo, who are known for their strong bond, talk about a lot of subjects in the video, including Kohli’s return to form and his ability to play based on what the team needs.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Top run-getters, wicket takers and notable records broken

The conversation begins with Rahul Dravid talking about Kohli’s comeback in Tests. The India coach joked that he had been desperate to watch Kohli score a Test hundred and enjoy it from the comfort of the team’s dressing room. Dravid said that while he had to wait a long time for the sight “but it was worth the wait”.

The duo also talked about Kohli’s approach to the innings and the challenges he faced. Admitting that Australia utilised the pitch well, Kohli said that he was able to score because his defence is his strongest point. “If I defend well then I know that when the ball is loose and ready to hit, I can cash in on it and get some runs. I am confident when I go to the field because I know I can bat in different ways,” Kohli said.

The right-handed batter also said that he was happy batting five-six sessions and scoring singles and doubles to reach a hundred rather than getting desperate about scoring boundaries.

Read | Australian spin attack the best we faced in last 10 years: Rahul Dravid

Dravid was full of praise for Kohli’s dedication to the game and his lifestyle, calling him an inspiration. “The lifestyle that you have chosen to lead is an inspiration not just to people in the dressing room but to others as well”. He also lauded Kohli’s willingness to play according to his team’s needs.

Watch a snippet of the interview here:

In the full interview shared on the BCCI’s website, Kohli opened up about his below-par form in Tests. “I think I let it grow on me a little bit due to my own shortcomings. The desperation to get a century can grow on any player and we have all experienced that. I let it happen to me to a certain extent. The flip side is that I am not happy scoring 40 or 50 runs. I always take pride in performing well for the team. I knew that if I could score 50, I could go up to 150 runs and help my team. The fact that I was not able to do that was eating me up a lot”, Kohli said.

The India star added that he was happy I could come out of the situation right before the World Test Championship final and he would be pretty relaxed now before the summit clash.

The World Test Championship final is set to be played between India and Australia at the Oval from 7 June.

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